Feb. 8, 2003
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – After losing two previous matches this spring by 4-3 scores, the 43rd-ranked University of Notre Dame men’s tennis team reversed its fortunes in close matches Saturday afternoon with a come-from-behind 4-3 road win over No. 46 Purdue (2-1) in the Lafayette Sports Center. Trailing 2-0, the Irish delivered four straight singles victories to earn their second straight win and 14th consecutive victory over the Boilermakers. Notre Dame (2-4) will be back in action on Sunday in the Eck Tennis Pavilion, playing host to No. 8 Duke at Noon (EST).
For the third time in six matches this spring, Notre Dame was swept in doubles, sending the Irish to an early 1-0 disadvantage. Purdue’s Colin Foster and Seth McKinley finished first with an 8-4 victory at No. 3 before Troy Havens and Scott Mayer won at No. 1 to clinch the doubles point. Paul Rose and Andrew Wakefield completed the sweep with an 8-5 triumph at No. 2.
Rose gave the Boilermakers a 2-0 lead with a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 4, but the Irish would respond with four consecutive victories. Junior tri-captain Luis Haddock (Caguas, P.R./Notre Dame H.S.), ranked 72nd nationally in singles, gained his fourth win this season over a ranked player, getting the Irish on the scoreboard via a 6-4, 6-3 triumph over #119 Mayer at No. 1. Haddock is 14-6 this season, including 4-2 against ranked opponents.
Sophomore Brent D’Amico (Castle Rock, Colo./St. Stephen’s Episcopal School) continued his hot play, tying the match with a 6-3, 6-4 win against Troy Havens at No. 3. D’Amico, who was 1-3 at No. 6 in his only singles dual-match action a year ago, improved to 6-0 this spring at No. 3 and 11-4 overall this season. Freshman Patrick Buchanan (Fullerton, Calif./Servite H.S.) won his second straight match, a 6-3, 6-3 decision vs. McKinley at No. 5 to put the Irish within a point of victory.
Trailing 4-2 in the second set, junior tri-captain Matthew Scott (Oakton, Va./International School of Paris) ran off four consecutive games to gain a 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 win against Wakefield at No. 2 and clinch the win for Notre Dame. After the outcome was determined, Purdue’s David Robinson rallied from losing the first set to win at No. 6 in a match tiebreaker, 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 1-0 (10-8).
Irish head coach Bob Bayliss is 14-0 against Purdue, making the Boilermakers the only team to play Notre Dame more than five times during Bayliss’ tenure and not manage a victory. Only three times during the span have the teams met in West Lafayette, but on each occasion, the Irish have battled to a 4-3 victory (also in 1999 and 2001).
Notre Dame now leads the all-time series against Purdue by a 44-8 count. Saturday’s win gave the Boilermakers the distinction of being tied with Marquette as the most-defeated team in the 81-year history of Notre Dame men’s tennis. The Irish have won all 44 meetings with the Golden Eagles.
#43 Notre Dame 4, #46 Purdue 3
Singles
No. 1: #72 Luis Haddock (ND) d. #119 Scott Mayer (P) 6-4, 6-3
No. 2: #119 Matthew Scott (ND) d. Andrew Wakefield (P) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
No. 3: Brent D’Amico (ND) d. Troy Havens (P) 6-3, 6-4
No. 4: Paul Rose (P) d. Brian Farrell (ND) 6-2, 6-2
No. 5: Patrick Buchanan (ND) d. Seth McKinley (P) 6-3, 6-3
No. 6: David Robinson (P) d. Nicolas Lopez-Acevedo (ND) 2-6, 7-6 (10-8), 1-0 (10-8)
Doubles
No. 1: Havens/Mayer (P) d. D’Amico/Scott (ND) 8-4
No. 2: Rose/Wakefield (P) d. Haddock/Ben Hatten (ND) 8-5
No. 3: Colin Foster/McKinley (P) d. Jake Cram/Paul McNaughton (ND) 8-4